1. Field of the Invention
This application relates generally to a control method and control system for controlling operation of model variants of a kitchen appliance, and more specifically to a control method and system that automatically determines the model variant of the kitchen appliance and adapts its operation according to that particular model variant.
2. Description of Related Art
Kitchen appliances such as refrigerators typically come in a variety of models, some of which operate under the same basic principle but differ in the extent of their performance. For example, an appliance commonly referred to as an “all refrigerator” includes a fresh food compartment in which the temperature is maintained by a refrigeration circuit of the refrigerator within a range of about 34° F. to about 42° F. Such an appliance is called an all refrigerator because it has a fresh food compartment and lacks a freezer compartment in which the temperature is maintained below the freezing temperature of water by the refrigeration circuit. Similar to an all refrigerator, a wine cooler also includes a main compartment and lacks a freezer like the fresh food compartment, but the temperature in the wine compartment is usually maintained within a range of 49° F. to about 60° F., a range that is more temperate than the temperature range within the fresh food compartment of the all refrigerator.
Both the all refrigerator and the wine cooler include main compartments in which food items are to be placed and maintained close to a desired temperature. And both include a refrigeration circuit provided with a compressor, condenser and evaporator through which a refrigerant is cycled in various states to remove thermal energy from their respective main compartment. However, one difference between the two is that the refrigeration circuit of the all refrigerator will likely have a greater capacity to remove thermal energy than the refrigeration circuit of the wine cooler. This difference is primarily due to the colder temperature to be maintained within the fresh food compartment compared to the temperature maintained within the main compartment of the wine cooler, and the volume difference between the two compartments. The all refrigerator is also likely to include a user interface that offers a user different cooling options from which to choose than the user interface provided to the wine cooler.
Despite these differences between the all refrigerator and wine cooler model variants of a refrigeration appliance, both operate to remove thermal energy from their respective compartment in much the same way. Further, manufacturers may even assemble more than one model variant at the same facility to minimize stocking parts common to all such model variants at different facilities. However, each model variant has traditionally been assembled from various components that are dedicated for use only with a specific model variant, and incompatible with other model variants. This has required manufacturers to purchase and warehouse different components for each model variant.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a control method and an appliance including a plurality of model variants, each including a common controller that automatically determines the model variant of the appliance to which it has been provided and adapts its control operations to control that particular model variant.